The "Mighty A"

 

Today's road trip took Ginny and me to Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama, where we explored the "Mighty A" and the USS Drum. Afterward, we drove to Dauphin Island and explored Fort Gaines.

The USS Alabama, also called the "Might A," is a retired 680' battleship that served during WWII. The ship was armed with a main battery of nine 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 guns in three triple-gun turrets on the centerline, two of which were placed in a superfiring pair forward, with the third aft. The secondary battery consisted of twenty 5-inch /38 caliber dual-purpose guns mounted in twin turrets clustered amidships, five turrets on either side. She was also equipped with a battery of six quadruple 40mm Bofors guns and thirty-five 20mm Oerlikon autocannons in single mounts.

The USS Drum is a Gato-class WWII 312' submarine commissioned on 1 November 1941 and decommissioned on 16 February 1946. After decommissioning, she began service at Washington, D.C., to members of the Naval Reserve in the Potomac River Naval Command, which continued through 1967. The USS Drum was moored in the waters behind the USS Alabama until she was substantially damaged by the storm surge of Hurricane Georges in 1998. As a result, she is now on display on shore. The USS Alabama and USS Drum also sustained damage when Hurricane Katrina came ashore on 29 August 2005.

 

 

Fort Gaines is located on Dauphin Island along Mobile Bay and was a crucial site for the south during the civil war. The well-preserved ramparts of Fort Gaines have guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay for more than 150 years. Now a historic site, the Fort stands at the eastern tip of Dauphin Island, where it commands panoramic views of the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Due to ongoing shoreline erosion, the Fort was recently designated as one of the Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites in America.

Robertsdale, Alabama

 

We have check into Azalea Acres RV Park in Robertsdale, AL. We will be here for a week.

Biloxi, Mississippi

 

We have check into Cajun RV Park in Biloxi, MS. We will be here for a week.

Morgan City, Louisiana

 

We have check into Victor Guarisco Lake End Park and Campground in Morgan City, LA. We have a spot right on the lake. We will be here for four nights.

New Iberia, Louisiana

 

We have check into KOC Kampground in New Iberia, LA. We will be here for four nights.

Galveston, Texas

 

We have check into Galveston RV Resort and Marina in Galveston, TX. We will be here for four nights.

Victoria, Texas

 

We have check into Gateway to the Gulf RV Park in Victoria, TX. We will be here for three nights.

Del Rio, Texas

 

We have check into Southwinds Marina on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, TX. Southwinds Marina is a US Air Froce FamCamp managed by Laughlin AFB. We will be here for one night.

Fort Davis, Texas

 

We have check into MacMillen RV Park in Fort Davis, TX. We will be here for two nights.

Van Horn, Texas

 

We are on the road again after a 5-week delay in our trip stopping in Deming, NM. We have check into the Oasis RV Park in Van Horn, TX. We will be here for one night.

New Mexico Winter Home

 

Ginny and I looked at a local piece of property here in Deming that we liked so well that we put a low bid on it just to see what would happen. Well, guess what? Our offer was accepted. So, we just bought a 1239 Sq Ft 3 Bedroom 2 bath house here in Deming, NM, within a 55+ retirement community. It has two carports, a workshop/studio, a large rear deck, a shed, RV parking, easy-care desert landscaping, and a newer metal roof on a 60'x90' fenced lot (0.12ac). We close on or about FEB 7th. This will be our winter home.

 

Deming is located within the Upper Chihuahuan Desert climate zone in Southwestern New Mexico.

 

The city is within the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, which was acquired from Mexico specifically to provide a southern route for a railroad to connect the United States with California. Deming was founded in 1881, incorporated in 1902, and is named after Mary Ann Deming Crocker, wife of Charles Crocker, one of the Big Four of the California railroad industry. The Silver Spike was driven here on March 8, 1881, to commemorate the meeting of the Southern Pacific with the Rio Grande, Mexico and Pacific (a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe) railroads. This was the second transcontinental railroad to be completed in North America.

Because of Deming's altitude (4331 feet), summers are characterized by moderately warm days. Maximums are mostly in the 90s, rarely rising to 100 degrees or higher. Because of the elevation, the nights are comfortably cool. Deming's maximum temperatures usually occur during June, while in July and August, frequent afternoon thunderstorms tend to hold down daytime temperatures.

Deming's winters are noted for their clear skies and sunny weather—daytime temperatures, even during the coldest months, average well into the 50s. As may be expected in arid climates, humidity year-round is low, sometimes as low as 5%. Winds average around 10 miles per hour for the year, with the prevailing direction being westerly. Sometimes, as elsewhere in the Southwest, during late winter and spring, moderate to strong winds blow and bring blowing dust. The average temperatures in Deming range from a low of 30.5 degrees, with the coldest month being December. The high is 82.1 degrees, with the hottest month being July. The wettest month is August and the driest months are April and June. Deming typically has about 100 days with temperatures over 89 degrees, but the relative humidity is only 25%. Snowfall is about 1".

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

 

Our trip today was to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument north of Silver City, NM. The cliff dwellings at Gila are similar to those at Mesa Verde but on a much smaller scale and in a remote location. My first visit to the cliff dwelling was back in 1997 when I lived in Albuquerque. The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is a U.S. National Monument created to protect Mogollon cliff dwellings in the Gila Wilderness on the headwaters of the Gila River in southwest New Mexico. Considered by archaeologists to be on the northernmost portion of the Mogollon people's sphere of influence, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is home to two prominent ruins sites among a collection of smaller sites located within the Gila Wilderness inside the Gila National Forest. Archaeologists have identified 46 rooms in the five caves on Cliff Dweller Canyon and believe 10 to 15 families occupied them.

The Pink Store

 

Today, Ginny and I dropped the dogs off at the groomer and took a trip across the International Border to The Pink Store in Puerto Palomas, Mexico, for some shopping and lunch.

Truth or Consequences

 

Today, Ginny and I took a road trip to the City of Truth or Consequences, out to Elephant Butte Lake & State Park, and over snow-covered mountains back to Deming via Silver City. Tomorrow, we're dropping the dogs off at the groomers, and I'm taking her to The Pink Store in Puerto Palomas, Mexico, for some shopping and lunch.

Deming, NM

 

We have repositioned to Deming, NM, where we are staying at the 81 Palm Senior RV Resort for a week. 81 Palm Senior RV Resort is a 55+ RV park. I stayed here for four months last winter. While here last winter, my late wife Nancy passed away after a heart attack in Las Cruces.